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Project Fear Bingo

CSM EDITORIAL

Welcome back, Dear Readers of Country Squire Magazine. No doubt You had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed a break from Brexit, nightmares about Corbyn gulags and the nonsense of identity politics. Christmas waves a magic wand over this part of the world, and behold, everything seems calmer and more doable.

It took the BBC a while to get going after Christmas with its Project Fear stories. One hoped they had run out. Then we had the usual suspects – ports, lorry parks, university funding and medicines – appear as regurgitated fear-generating stories across the BBC website and on the Today programme.

There might as well be a game called Project Fear Bingo as, frankly, these fear stories are worth nothing more than building a crap game around. We can predict with some certainty that over the next week or so there will be staff shortages, planes dropping from skies and security risks all mentioned in association with Brexit. Boring.

These next ten days happen to be crucial in the life of Brexit – as are the few weeks after Theresa May’s deal gets drop-kicked. So, expect an onslaught from the losers:

Today we have a Benedict Cumberbatch drama getting aired which makes out that Dominic Cummings of Vote Leave is some kind of evil genius who foisted Brexit upon us poor, innocent sheeple when the reality is that most of us decided years ago to vote leave and no Facebook ad, let alone Nigel Farage, would help further convince us. Meanwhile polls have been bought by the FBPE People’s Vote losers – those zombie zealots – to show that the public has miraculously been turned and now wants a second referendum…… again, boring. When will these crazy folk learn? They are an embarrassment.

If you happen to be somehow swayed by any of this, we decided to place a couple of reminders on the magazine today to help you recover your senses. First, a brilliant video from years ago featuring Sir Patrick Moore:

And, second, Lord Lilley’s excellent 30 Truths about a WTO exit which were published recently and should be read by all Brits.

We wish You all a Happy 2019. Good luck. May this be another winning year for us all.

Lord Lilley’s 30 truths on leaving the EU under WTO terms are:

1: It will allow the UK to cash in, not crash out – the UK will not have to pay the £39billion divorce bill.

2: It avoids the corrosive uncertainty which the transition period would bring.

3: The UK will be able to use administrative measures to solve Irish border issue, without the need for a backstop.

4: After resolving the Irish border issue, the UK as a whole will be able to enter a Canada +++ style free trade deal, such as the one suggested by Donald Tusk.

5: WTO is a safe haven, not a hard option. Six of the EU’s top 10 trading partners trade under WTO rules.

6: UK exports to countries trading on WTO terms have grown 3 times faster than to the Single Market.

7: EU tariffs on exports from the UK would amount to less than half the UK’s current net contribution to the EU budget.

8: The UK is already a WTO member so would not need to rejoin it.

9: We can start to trade on the new tariff schedules as soon as we leave, without waiting for agreement from other WTO members.

10: The UK is making good progress in replicating the EU’s most important preferential trade arrangements – Switzerland has already agreed to carry over existing preferences.

11: The UK could take up Japan’s invitation to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

12: Bilateral trade deals do not have to take a long time to renegotiate. The average renegotiation time is 28 months.

13:“Micro” trade agreements will not be a big issue.

14: Scares about delays to imports are ‘ludicrous’, because Britain will control its borders.

15: There will be no medicine shortages.

16: There will be no food shortages.

17: Manufacturing supply chains and other goods deliveries will not be significantly affected.

18: The UK will not run out of clean water.

19: HMRC’s computer systems will be able to handle extra customs declarations, even if its new system is not fully online.

20: France is determined to prevent delays at Calais for fear of losing trade to Belgian and Dutch port.

21: A new traffic routing system will prevent serious delays to incoming lorries.

22: Planes will continue to fly to and from the EU.

23: Planes will continue to fly to the US and elsewhere.

24: Aircraft manufacturers will still be able to export parts, such as Airbus wings, despite claims to the contrary.

25: British haulage companies will still be able to operate between the UK and the EU.

26: Trade in animals, plants and food will continue after Brexit.

27: UK citizens will not face high mobile phone roaming charges when travelling to the EU.

28: UK car manufacturers have obtained approvals to sell their models to the EU.

29: New VAT rules will not affect the cash flow of importers.

30: British opera singers, musicians and other performers will still be able to tour the EU.